Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) looks to pass during the first organized team activity at Miller Electric Center Monday, May 19, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla.
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) looks to pass during the first organized team activity at Miller Electric Center Monday, May 19, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
There's no doubt that Trevor Lawrence is entering a pivotal year with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Coming off a pair of injury-plagued seasons, he'll need to come through to justify the decision to give him a massive contract extension in 2024. Having said that, No. 16 hasn't been nearly as bad as he's believed to be. Quite the contrary.
Lawrence's mechanics and decision-making took a dip last year. Couple that with the fact that he's missed time the past two years, and it's easy to see why his stock has recently plummeted. However, John Oehser of the team's official website reminded everyone just how good Lawrence was before the injury bug struck last year.
Oehser answered several questions in a recent mailbag and brougth up the fact that Lawrence wasn't on his way to the MVP award in 2023 but was definitely playing at a high level before injuries began to pile up.
"Except it's not. And he was." Oehser responded when someone suggested that Lawrence was unremarkable in 2023. "Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence wasn't likely to be named MVP in 2023, but through 11 games the Jaguars were contending for the AFC's best record. Lawrence also had played very well in the games leading to their 12th game - a loss to Cincinnati."
Oehser continued, "He played well in that game before leaving with an injury. I can't control what people remember. I don't know how many people were discussing what. I do know that some observers were discussing Lawrence as an MVP candidate at the time.
Lawrence dealt with a myriad of ailments in 2023. First, he hurt his knee. He then had an ankle sprain and later suffered a concussion against the Cincinnati Bengals during a Monday Night Football bout. Before he left, though, he completed 75.9 percent of his throws for 258 yards with two touchdowns. The 2024 season wasn't much better in terms of injuries for the former Clemson Tiger. He sustained an AC sprain and eventually underwent surgery.
The Jaguars need Trevor Lawrence to stay healthy in 2025
Trevor Lawrence most definitely needs to improve his mechanics and decision-making. He recently told Sara Walsh of NFL Media that he's working on both areas. Couple that with the fact that the Jacksonville Jaguars made upgrades to his supporting cast, and he'll be in a position to play like he did before injuries held him back. Then again, that's the thing.
Availability is the best ability, and Lawrence has failed to stay healthy the past two years. He'll need to prove that he just dealt with a rough stretch. If he does, there's no reason to think he can once again the top-10 quarterback discussion.
Early in 2023, it was common to see the Knoxville, Tennessee native in the top 10 of most rankings. He's tumbled ever since. However, Nate Tice of Yahoo! Sports believes that the perfect storm is brewing for Lawrence to experience a surge next season, which is why he gave him the No. 9 spot in his ranking.
The bottom line is that Trevor Lawrence hasn't stopped been the talented player the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted first overall in 2021. On the other hand, he'll need to stay healthy next season if he wants to put and end to questions about his viability as a top-notch quarterback.